Liquid sampler



July 22,1958 F. G. WRlGH T 2,844,036

LIQUID SAMPLER Filed Sept. 29, 1955 INVENTOR United States Patent 2,844,036 LIQUID SAMPLER Francis G. Wright, Nassau, N. Y.

Application September 29,1955 Serial No. 537,380

Claims. (Cl. 73- 4254) This invention relates generally to liquid sampling devices and, more particularly, to apparatus employed in cutting out and. withdrawing samples of liquid, such as petroleum, from a region near or at the bottom of a barrel, storage tank or other receptacle for the purpose of examining and testing the liquid for sediment, water, emulsion, and petroleum product. Apparatuses of this class are generally termed oil-thieves by workers in the art and are adapted to be lowered into the receptacle in which the liquid is stored, for the purpose of trapping, within the device, a sample of the liquid at or near the bottom of the receptacle. Sediment, water, emulsion, and petroleum product usually exist in varying amounts in the bottom portions of the receptacle and, enumerated from the bottom toward the top of the receptacle, in the order recited.

The purpose of the instant invention is to provide an oil-thief by means of-which a sample can be taken near or at the bottom of the receptacle without disturbing the stratification of the sediment, water, emulsion, and petroleu'm product as they. exist in the receptacle. To this end a cylindrical chamber is provided having a triggered valve or door at the bottom thereof, that is adapted to be operated when the device contactsthe bottom of the receptacle, to seal off the bottom of the cylinder. A light hinged door at the top ofthe cylinder is also provided for closing the-top of the sample chamber as it is being lifted from the receptacle, so that the sample contained within the receptacle will truly represent the amount of sediment, water, emulsion, and petroleum product as theyexist in the tank. Such devices are especially help ful in inspections of tanks for the purpose of determining cleaning periods andfor determining the volume of useful petroleum products stored in the tanks.

Although numerous oil -thieves or samplers exist in the prior art, none of them possess'the desirable characteristics. incorporated' in the instant invention. The instant sampler ischar'acterized by. the provision of a valve. triggering sleeve, which, when the device is set in operative condition, will extend below the mouth of the sample chamber a substantial distance so that the stratification of the liquid, as it exists in the tank, will not be disturbed by protruding auiriliary apparatus as the device is lowered into the tank.- 'This sleeve serves a dual purpose in that it additionally serves as means for locking the bottom valve in open position until the device has reached the bottom ofthe'tank. On" reaching the bottom of the tank, the sleeve'will' be forced upwardly, thereby releasing the bottom valve, which is caused to swing into closing alignment with thebottom of the sample chamber where it is in position to,receive,- and seal in contact therewith, the samplechamber which is urgedfby spring pressure firmly-against; the valve; Sincetthe'top closure element is in the form of;-a:light-, hinged=-, metal cover,-the pressure of oil-againsti-t-he topof the coy'er as the-instrument is. withdrawn fr m-tmetank, willcause it. to close ice 2 v and remain closed until the device is lifted out of the liquid. I j

Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an oil-thief which is entirely automatic in its operation and which will cut a clean sample of-the liquid, as it exists in the bottom of a tank, without disturbing the stratification of the liquid as it existedin the tank. Another object of this invention resides in the provision of cam operated elements, which are controlled by the vertical movement of the sample chamber with respect to the outer housing for moving the' bottom valve into closing position and efifecting closure thereof b'ythe downward movement of the sample chamber into sealing contact with the valve. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from ;the followed detailed description, when considered with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device; a p

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the device shown partly in vertical section, taken alongthe line 2- -2 0 Figure 1; H 4 I Figure 3 is a horizontal, sectional view of the device taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2; H

Figure 4 is a vertical, elevational view of the device showing the bottom valve in the process of being closed; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the internal operating elements showing their relationship to the bottom valve or door and its cam operating elements. w,

. Referring to the drawings indetail, particularly Figures 1, 2 and 3, it can be seen that the sampler comprises an outer metallic housing 10, which encloses a glasstub 11. Glass tube 11 may be calibrated in inches and the calibrations can be viewed through windows 12 formed in the housing 10 as can be seen from Figure 4. Two windows 12 are provided on opposite sides of the housing 10. Glass tube 11 has cemented to its upper end a barrel or sleeve 13 that is adapted to move up and down with the glass tube 11 inside of the housiuglO.v 'At apoint intermediate the ends ofglass tube 11 there is threaded over it a tube guide 14 that is adaptedjto guide the glass tube 11 in its movement up and down within the housing 10. Tube guide 14 is held in position by screwsl 14a that extend through the housing 10. The bottom end of the glass tube 11 is provided Witha gasket 15 that may be formed of synthetic rubber of the type known com merically as neoprene, or any substance that willnot be attacked by the liquid to which it is exposed. i Gasket 15 is adapted to form a seal with the sliding door 16 which, in turn, forms a closure forthe bottom, end of the glass tube when moved to closed position. Door 16 is provided with lands 17a that-are adapted-Qtoslide in the ways 17 formed in the base 18 on which the metal housing 10 is mounted. 'Door 16 is provided with a vertically disposed pin 19 which can move inan' elongated slot 20 formed in the base 18. The upperend of the pin is engaged by a cam 21 that is pivotallymounted at 22 on the base 18.. Cam 21 is provided with a substantially arcuate elongated slot 23 in which pin 19 is adapted to move on rotation of the cam 21. Obviously, rotation of the cam 21 through the medium of the sub- 'stantially.arcuate slot 23 and the pin 19 will cause the the metal, housing 10. This may be-"clea'rlYseen in Figure 4. Near the top end of cam rod 24 there is secured to the cam rod a second cam 26 that is adapted to be rotated, in a manner to be described, to rotate the cam rod 24. Barrel or sleeve element 13, which is cemented tothe top end of the glass tube 11, is provided with a pin 27 that extends outwardly through a vertically disposed elongated slot 27a provided --in the metallic housing 10. Movement of the pin 27 vertically by move ment of the glass tube and the barrel or sleeve element l3 will cause'the cam 26 to rotate since the outer end of pin 27-engages a substantially spiral slot 28 formed in'cam 26. The bottom end of the spiral slot 28 is providedwith a connecting,- vertically disposed, slot 28a so that the pin 27 can move vertically downward to cause thegasket on the bottom end of the tube to engage the door16 after it has reached the extent of its travel. This may-be clearly seen in Figures 4 and 5. Glass tube 11 is urged toward its down position by coil spring 29 which engagesthe top'of the barrel or sleeve element 13. The-top end of coil spring 29 presses against an annular ring 30 which forms a part of the cover assembly for the sampler. The annular ring 30'is secured to the top inner wall of the metallic housing by screws 31. This annular ring has mounted upon it, by means of a hinge 32, a light metal lid 33 that is adapted, when in its down position, to form a closure for the top end of the sampler.

Pins 19 and 27 may be'provided with roller bearings to overcome friction between them and their respective cams.

Slidably disposed within the bottom end of metallic housing 10-is a substantially cylindrical trigger sleeve 34. Trigger sleeve 34 isprovided with one or more pins 35 which extend outwardly through vertically disposed, elongated slots 36 formed in the metallic housing 10. When the cam rod 24 is rotated to slide the door 16 to its open position byraising the glass tube 11, against the action of spring 29, the trigger sleeve will drop to its extreme low position and hold the door in open position. The door will be stopped in its travel to the closed position by engaging the outer surface of the bottom end of the trigger sleeve 34. The bottom end of trigger sleeve 34 is tapered as shown in Figure 2. When this trigger sleeve contacts the bottom of a tank, containing liquid which is to be sampled, it is forced upwardly to release the door 16 and allow it to be moved into closing position. Where further downward movement of the glass tube 11 will cause the neoprene gasket 15, carried thereby, to engage the top surface of the door 16' and thereby form with it a liquid seal.

The top of the sampler is provided with a bail 37 to which may be fastened a measuring tape or line by means of which the sampler can be raised or lowered in the tank. The upward movement of the sampler in a liquid, by the action of the liquid upon the door 33, will causethe door to remain closed.

In operation, when it is desired to lower the sampler within thetank for the purpose of sampling the liquid contained therein, the sampler is first set by forcing the glass tube upwardly against the action of spring 29 to open the bottom door 16 to thereby allow the trigger sleeve 34 to drop down to its extreme bottom position to prevent the door from again moving to its closed position. When'the sampler is lowered to the bottom of the tank and the trigger sleeve 34 engages the bottom of the tank, the sleeve will be forced upwardly to release the door 16 and allow it to move to its closed position, where further downward movement of the glass tube 11 will eifectively seal the door.

Although a specific form of the liquid sampler has been described in detail, it' is obvious that modifications of the instant invention can be made by those skilled in the art after receiving thebenefit of the above disclosure. I claim: i

. 1 ,A liquid sampler'comprising .a housing, a transparent tube adapted to receive a sample of the liquid to be sampled disposed within said housing, means for sup porting the transparent tube for vertical movement within said housing, resilient means for applying a downward force to said transparent tube, a bottom door disposed in sliding relationship to the bottom ends of the housing and transparent tube in a direction that is at right angles to the axis of the transparent tube, means actuable by the downward movement of the transparent tube for sliding the door into sealing position in alignment with but spaced from the bottom end of the transparent tube, and means carried by the bottom end of the transparent tube which will on an additional amount of downward movement of the transparent tube form a seal between the door and. the end of the transparent tube.

2. A liquid sampler comprising a housing, a transparent tube adapted to receive a sample of the liquid to be sampled disposed within said housing, means for supporting the transparent tube, for vertical movement with in said housing, resilient means for applying a downward force to said transparent tube, trigger means for locking the transparent tube in its uppermost position, a bottom door disposed in sliding relationship to the bottom ends of the housing and transparent tube in a direction that is at right angles to the axis of said transparent tube, means actuable by the trigger means for producing a downward movement of the transparent tube, means operable by the downward movement of the transparent tube for sliding the door into sealing position spaced from but in alignment with the bottom end of the transparent tube, and means carried by the bottom end of the transparent tube which will on an additional amount of downward movement of the transparent tube form a seal between the door and the end of the transparent tube.

3. A liquid sampler comprising a housing, a transparent tube adapted to receive a sample of the liquid to be sampled disposed within said housing, means for supporting the transparent tube for vertical movement within said housing, resilient means for applying a downward force to said transparent tube, a bottom door disposed in sliding relationship to the bottom ends of the housing and transparent tube in a direction that is at right angles to theaxis ofv the transparent tube, trigger means carried within the housing but outside of the transparent tube that is adapted to move downwardly and extend below the bottom of the housing and transparent tube when the transparent tube is in its uppermost position to lock the bottom door in its open position, means connecting the bottom door and the top end of the transparent tube for moving the bottom door into sealing position by the downward movement of the transparent tube when the trigger means has been urged upwardly with respect to the housing and transparent tube by coming into contact with the bottom of a liquid tank, and means carried'by the bottom end of the transparent tube for forming a seal between the bottom end of the transparent tube and the bottom door on further movement downwardly of the transparent tube after the door is in sealing position.

4. A liquid sampler comprising a housing, a transparent tube adapted to receive a sample of the liquid to be sampled disposed within said housing, means for support- (ing the transparent tube for vertical movement within said housing, resilient means for applying a downward force to said tube, a bottom door disposed in sliding relationship to the bottom ends of the housing and transparent tube in a direction that is at right angles to the axis of the transparent tube, trigger means carried within the housing but outside of the transparent tube that is adapted to move downwardly and extend below the bottom of the housing and transparent tube when the transparent tube is urged against the action of the spring means into its \uppermost position to lock the bottom door in its open position and thereby hold the transparent tube in its uppermost position, cam means connecting the bottom door and the top end of the transparent tube for moving the bottom door into sealing position by the downward movement of the transparent tube when the trigger means has been urged upwardly out of the path of the door by coming into contact with the bottom of a liquid tank, and means carried by the bottom end of the transparent tube for forming a seal between the bottom end of the transparent tube and the bottom door on further movement downwardly of the transparent tube after the door is in sealing position.

5. A liquid sampler comprising a housing, a transparent tube adapted to receive a sample of the liquid to be sampled disposed Within said housing, a gasket on the bottom end of the transparent tube, means for supporting the tube for vertical movement within said housing, resilient means for applying a downward force to said transparent tube, a top cam, means carried by the top end of the transparent tube for rotating said cam by vertical movement of the transparent tube relative to the housing, a bottom cam, means connecting the top and bottom cams for simulaneous rotation about a common vertical axis, a bottom door adapted to slide horizontally into and out of alignment with the bottom end of the transparent position below the bottom ends of the transparent tube and housing to lock the bottom door in its open position and through the medium of the earns the transparent tube in its uppermost position, whereby tripping the trigger means by striking the bottom of the tank with the trigger means will release the bottom door which is moved to closing position by the first portion of the downward movement of the transparent tube with respect to the housing which transparent tube is also released by the door release and after the door is in closing position will be engaged by the gasket on the bottom end of the transparent tube during the last, portion of the downward movement of the transparent tube with respect to the housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 455,733 Bell July 14, 1891 1,336,250 McCoy et al. Apr. 6, 1920 1,471,015 Tompkins Oct. 16, 1923 

